I was ordered to re-enforce General Lee, and on reception of the order immediately sent the Eightieth [Sixty-second] Tennessee, Colonel [John A.] Rowan, to his support.

On the evening of the third day I was ordered to re-enforce General Barton, whose left was threatened. I ordered the Seventy-ninth [Sixtieth] Tennessee, Colonel Crawford, to his support, which left me but one regiment on the extreme left. The enemy were in strong force in front of my line of pickets and made several attempts to drive my forces from the line of abatis and woods, but failed.

The troops of my command, being new and undisciplined, held their position with great steadiness and nerve under a heavy fire at intervals for two days, the officers and men both showing a willingness and zeal to defend their ground to the last extremity.

The loss in my brigade was 9 killed and 9 wounded.* The larger portion of the wounded have since died.

Respectfully submitted.

JNO. C. VAUGHN,

Brigadier-General, Commanding.

Major-General STEVENSON,

Commanding Forces in Front.

Numbers 31.

Report of Major General Dabney H. Maury, C. S. Army, commanding Division, of operations December 30, 1862-January 2, 1863.

HDQRS. MAURY'S DIVISION, SECOND CORPS, DEPARTMENT OF MISSISSIPPI AND EAST LOUISIANA,
Near Vicksburg, Miss., January 5, 1863.

MAJOR: I have the honor to report for the information of the major-general commanding that I arrived here with a small portion of my division about 4 p. m. on December 30, [1862], and took command of the forces occupying the lines from the signal station to Snyder's Mill. During the entire day the enemy was in line of battle in our front. Besides occasional picket firing there was no demonstration of attack.

On the morning of the 31st I discovered that the enemy had intrenched the whole front of the line occupied by him the previous day. About 11 a. m. he sent in a flag of truce requesting a suspension of hostilities for four hours to enable him to collect and bury his dead. This was granted him, and he removed from the field of General Lee's action on the 29th about 200 dead bodies.

On the morning of the 1st there was unusual quiet along the lines occupied by the enemy, and it soon became evident that some change had been made in his positions. During the evening it was reported that he was landing near Snyder's Mill, and I therefore re-enforced that point.

Before daylight the report of his landing a heavy force to attack our position at Snyder's was reiterated, so that General Lee went up with several regiments, which with the brigade of General [Louis] Hebert just arrived from Yazoo City were sufficient to hold the position until I could re-enforce it.

Before 9 a. m. it became evident that there was no intention of attempting an attack upon Snyder's Mill, and that the enemy had abandoned his attack upon Vicksburg in this direction and was re-embarking

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*Nominal list shows 8 killed and 10 wounded.

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